A hand touched his arm, and he looked up into Zhane’s flushed face. “Hood up. Climb.”
Eliesmore pulled on his hood with one hand, putting his sword on his back. Random arrows whizzed toward him, slamming into the protective covering of his cloak and falling uselessly on the cliff. Eliesmore slipped on loose stones and almost fell, but Dathiem appeared behind him, reaching out a hand to steady Eliesmore’s footing.
The bleak blackness of the caverns continued to press in because the torches had not been relit. Glancing behind, Eliesmore blinked. He was unable to see the difference between shadows and blackness. There was something back there. Something was coming for them. He noted with relief the Green Company was with him. Some were still on the stairs; others were climbing the face of the cliff with him, reaching for handholds and swinging themselves up.
When he reached the top, Eliesmore’s arms were shaking from the effort, and he gasped for breath, holding his side. The top was flat, leading to yet another foothill. Eliesmore swore under his breath, but the light streaming in higher up gave him hope.
“Ìal iál, the beast!” wailed Glashar.
Eliesmore jolted out of his reprieve.
“I thought those stories weren’t true!” cried Arldrine.
“They are in the Holesmoles,” Zhane said, hurrying on to the next set of steps.
“We can’t fight this,” Idrithar announced.
A horror seized Eliesmore as the thing materialized in the great hall. It was a shadow with a void so dark his eyes drowned in the shades of darkness rippling off it. He could see the muscles and ligaments that bound the creature to a form as it grew to a height of fifteen feet. Horns sprouted out of its skull. Its nose, which was the nose of a bull, sniffed the air. Its feet were cleaved, and three tails sprung out from its hindquarters. Darkness moved across its body, blending with the shadows, until Eliesmore was unsure what he saw. The creature seemed invisible yet visible, there yet not there. The being held what appeared to be a lightning bolt in one hand or tentacle. It threw back its head and bellowed.
“Go now!” Idrithar shouted.
“We have to get out,” Zhane echoed.
“Eliesmore, climb,” Dathiem ordered. The command was odd coming from the Tider.
Optimistic climbed beside Eliesmore. His face was pale, and his lips were closed in a straight line. “Eliesmore, if we don’t get out, will you take the Green Stone?”
“What do you mean?” Eliesmore cried, his eyes wide as he stared at Optimistic.
“We have to protect you. You must get out and go on. You are the One. The rest of us…” Optimistic shrugged. Reaching a hand into his tunic, he pulled out a weighted bag. “Take it.”
“Optimistic, no…” Eliesmore started, a lump in his throat.
“Take it.” Optimistic pressed it into Eliesmore’s hand. “Go. We will join you, when or if we can.”
Tears sprung to his eyes as Eliesmore tucked the Green Stone into his tunic and began to climb. He could not lose them. He could not complete his quest without them. They were the Green Company. They were his protectors. They were his friends. The thought bolted into Eliesmore’s mind full force. Friends. Something he’d never had; something he’d never known he’d needed. Here, at the bleakest hour of the world, he found himself surrounded by those who were brave, who had great courage, and who were willing to lay down their lives, not just for him, but for the world. They were willing to make sacrifices for the greater good, allowing all who were born in the Four Worlds to experience life without fear, terror, pain, and the sorrow of those they loved most being ripped away.
Eliesmore reached the summit and ran up twisting staircases. He lept across missing stairs. A foamy darkness hung in the air, making it harder to breathe, yet he pressed on. At times, he lost his footing and caught himself at the last moment before he fell headlong into darkness. As he ran, it came to him. He knew why he was running and why he was fighting back. A memory hung faintly before his mind. There was a vision of the past when he sat on his mother’s knee and she told him—a young, green-eyed boy—about the great Heroes of Old. She had known he was the One, even as she related the tales of strength, courage, bravery, and exchanging one’s life for the greater good and for the lives of others. She had focused on heroic deeds and the desire to make things right.
There would always be those in the world who were weaker, unable to fight back, and desolate in their unhappiness. There would be those who were tortured, imprisoned, banished, and killed. There would be those who had their families ripped away, who were driven into hiding, and who feared for their lives. There would be those who would look up at each sunset and see it red with blood, the blood of those they had lost. What was most important in life wasn’t life in and of itself, it was what one did with one’s life to make a difference and to make the world better. What truly mattered was for someone to reach out, help the weak, save those from torture and death, bring families together, and bring hope and a new beginning for all. It wasn’t about being heroic, carrying powerful weapons and fighting great battles. It was about creating a future for others; it was a future that he did not have. It was a future his companions did not have, but it was a future for the children of the world, their children, and their children’s children. It would be a world where evil did not rise, where Changers did not win, and where Monrage did not roam and terrorize the people groups. It would be a world where creatures of the deep never stirred from their hidden holes and where light and beauty led the way. It would be a world where people cared for each other, were willing to lend a hand, and forgive each other for past crimes. It would be a world where a child could walk out of their home in peace without being mowed down by Black Horse Lords or sacrificed to the Changers for their potential powers. All these things he’d had: the safety of home, the beauty of dancing with the Iaens, the creatures of the wood, and a home with his beloved mother. All those things had been ripped away from him, and now it was up to him to change it, to bring hope, and to destroy the Changers.
His face was wet with tears as he ran. He heard a roar behind him, but this time it did not defeat him. This time he stayed upright and ran, determination swelling through his heart. He would go into the heart of darkness, and he would not fail. As the words to “Song” spoke of a future and of hope, he would take those words, hold tight to them, and fight his way through. No matter what happened. His heart opened, and he sobbed as he listened, hoping his companions had escaped. He did not dare look back for a cool breeze was flowing in and the light was on his face. It hurt his eyes as he ran toward it, concentrating on his footsteps.
“The outside!” a voice cried.
He turned, and suddenly they were with him. The Green Company burst out of the Holesmoles and out into the mountainside of the Cascade Mountains.
65
Eliesmore
Eliesmore spread his arms wide and threw back his head, breathing in the pure air for the first time in two weeks. The chill nipped at his cheeks as the sun cast a glorious sunset of bright magenta and vivid orange across the sky. Eliesmore whispered words of praise as he watched it, feeling as if he had never seen a more magnificent sight in his life.
“We did it!” Wekin thrust a fist into the air, pumping it.
Eliesmore felt someone come up beside him and embrace him. “Optimistic! I have something for you.” He handed the Green Stone to Optimistic, feeling relief course through his body.
“Eliesmore.” Ellagine touched his shoulder; her eyes were calm.
Suddenly they were all shouting, laughing, and hugging each other as they walked across the mountainside.
“We were the first.” Zhane looked back at the entrance, gaping like a yawning mouth. There was no sign of the woísts.
In awe, the Green Company walked up the mountain slope that was covered with yellow grass and scattered stones. The voice of a river beckoned to them.
“We make camp by the stream,” Idrithar called.
“May I build
a fire when we get there?” Yamier jogged to catch up with Idrithar.
Idrithar scanned the peaks rising high above them. After considering it, he nodded. “Yes, keep it low.”
The entrance to the Holesmoles had disappeared by the time they reached the river. They cast themselves into the water, scrubbing the dirt, grime, blood, and other physical remnants of their time in the Holesmoles from their bodies. The lingering lights of day attempted to dry their clothes as they laid them out on flat boulders.
“What was that being?” Eliesmore asked Idrithar as he shrugged on his damp shirt, shuddering in remembrance. “Why didn’t it chase us or attempt to attack us?”
Idrithar pursed his lips. “It could have been a Changer in its true form. It could have been a figment of our imaginations that was fueled by the dark, the fumes, and the horror of the Holesmoles in and of itself. As to why it did not give chase, it seemed to want us to leave its domain and leave it to darkness. There are greater mysteries that even I do not understand. Speculation will only get us so far.”
Eliesmore scratched his head. “It did not seem like a dream. It felt quite real. How is it a Changer in its true form? I thought they were keeping guard at the Constel Heights?”
“Ah.” Idrithar raised a finger. “There are portals. If the Dark One is calling the woísts, he might be in the hidden places within the Holesmoles himself. It could have been him; it could have been something else. I hope we never find out. As for our imaginations, you’ll soon find that everything is not what it seems. Power is vague and taxing, and it demands a hefty price. The Great-Black-Evil is unsteady. In truth, we do not know the consequences of dabbling in dark power.”
Eliesmore shivered.
“Take heart.” Idrithar smiled as he stood. “We escaped; enjoy the glory of the mountains.”
Eliesmore took another deep breath of pure mountain air, watching his companions. Yamier had already located a pile of wood and was starting a fire while he sang to himself. Wekin helped him, squatting and blowing on the flames. Optimistic laughed with Visra on the riverbank; they sat with their feet in the water. Visra was more naked than clothed. Eliesmore shook his head at her mannerisms. The dark cloud that hung over the Green Company, particularly the Iaens, since they entered the west seemed to have shattered. Eliesmore rolled his shoulders back; his heart felt lighter. He searched for Dathiem and Glashar; they were nowhere to be seen, but Zhane and Arldrine walked out of the river together, spreading their cloaks on rocks to dry.
Eliesmore took a step toward the fire when he saw Ellagine and turned toward her. She sat on a slope, facing the way they had come and watching. Expression had drifted from her face; she seemed to be closed in her own inner world, a place Eliesmore found impossible to penetrate. He sat down beside her, watching her face change as she met his eyes. Her cheeks sloped upwards, and her lips curved; they were poised between a genuine smile and a gentle acknowledgment of his presence. Her cloak was gone, and her long, green arms were bare. Eliesmore felt a keen desire to stroke her arm. His face turned hot with awareness.
“I know why,” he told her, offering conversation.
She startled. Her eyes roamed his face as if she had no idea what he was talking about. “Why?”
“Remember our conversation in the Holesmoles?” He tapped his fingers on his knee. “I know why I am doing this and why I want to be the One. It’s clear now.”
Ellagine’s eyes drifted to his fingers. She lifted a hand, tucking her hair behind her ear. Eliesmore watched her, thinking of how lovely she looked with her large, pointed ears.
“You know why,” she repeated, smiling, her face lightening up like the first blossoms of spring, bringing hope to the air. “I am glad to hear it. You don’t have to tell me, Eliesmore.” She paused, letting his name hover on her tongue. “I can see, in your eyes, something has changed. Now you are pulling from your inner strength. Good. You will need it.”
A bittersweet joy rippled through his body and, with a surge of boldness, Eliesmore lifted his hand and took hers in it. Instead of pulling away like he expected, she squeezed his hand.
Three weeks passed as the Green Company traveled far into the Cascade Mountains. They knew the woísts, and likely the Rakhai, were on their trail. Idrithar pushed them hard during the day, causing them to shake from exertion when they cast themselves down at night. There were no complaints because the cold beauty of the mountains captivated their senses. They were alive. They were together. And they traveled unhindered toward their destination.
Eliesmore enjoyed the raw beauty of the mountains as he trudged with the company. The chill in their air made it comfortable to wear their long cloaks, which seemed to become lined with fur the colder it became. Their packs became lighter as they traveled because they were running low on supplies. In the mountains, many plants and dumb animals ran freely, providing plenty of small game for the company to catch and eat. Talking animals hid themselves; they were living in fear of the Black Steeds.
“We’ll be getting to the heights soon, and then it will be cold,” Zhane announced one morning as the company was eating rabbit meat.
“I thought we had come through mountains heights already,” Wekin said, licking his lips.
“But look, those are higher.” Zhane pointed with his dagger.
“The heights are called Dranagin Land because they live under mountains,” Idrithar added, tossing a bone into the fire.
“We will not see them,” Zhane assured the company. “They don’t come out because of the cold and snow.”
“Have you ever seen them?” Arldrine asked, a bemused grin on her face.
“Once.” Idrithar’s eyes took on a faraway look. “We took the path down into the mountains and saw two of them.”
“One is a giant among dranagins,” Zhane broke in, “its very foot could crush all of us in one step.”
“At least we don’t have to go near them,” Optimistic said.
“Only over them,” added Dathiem. One hand stroked Glashar’s thigh; he was not ashamed of his public displays of affection. “Even I have done that.”
“What is after the mountains?” Eliesmore pulled the meat off a bone and popped it his mouth, inwardly expressing gratitude for Yamier’s cooking methods.
“The desert.” Idrithar picked up his pack, signaling it was time to go.
The company finished eating and collected their things. “We will need to stock up on food if we will be going through a desert,” Yamier remarked with his mouth full.
“We will gather as we go,” Idrithar responded. He walked up and around rocks, his cloak billowing out behind him.
The blue sky spread above them like an unfurling scroll. Dumb animals called to each other in their languages, birds flew overhead, and some sang in the distance. Slopes pointed upward to higher summits with evergreen forests covering them like a warm fur. Jagged rocks and round boulders, along with green grass turning straw brown, rose up beside them, serving as lookout points. Fresh air seeped around them, going and coming with the soft, feathery wind.
That evening, the company camped on top of a mountain slope before they climbed the next day. Eliesmore sat down on a rock, dropping his pack on the ground. Yamier had not gotten permission to start a fire from their lofty height, so they ate dried meat instead.
“One day,” said Wekin, chewing as the company sat in a circle. “We’ll have bacon to eat and sausage.”
“My mouth is watering already,” Yamier commented.
“You better not get any ideas,” Idrithar said, “we won't be off the mountains for at least a month, and there is no finding bacon here.”
Wekin started to sigh and then stopped. He grew quiet. Eliesmore wondered what plan was forming in his mind.
It soon became dark. “Rest,” Zhane called, “we have a long climb tomorrow.”
“I’ll take first watch,” Glashar volunteered, as usual.
Eliesmore curled up in his cloak behind a rock with Yamier, Wekin, and Optimistic.
As he closed his eyes, he heard Wekin whisper to Yamier, “We can hunt wild boar on my watch.”
“Really? It’ll be unlikely if we find any. Even if we do, we don’t have bows and arrows,” Yamier whispered back, his voice soaked in sleep.
“Just think: we’ll have bacon if we do,” Wekin said to the stars.
Eliesmore fell asleep laughing quietly to himself. He didn’t wake until hours later when he heard voices. He opened his eyes and saw Idrithar herding two people back to camp. “Imagine that,” Idrithar rebuked, “going to hunt wild boar at this time of night. You two go back to sleep. I’ll keep watch.”
“That was good Yamier,” Wekin mumbled, “in spite of the fact we didn’t catch anything. Let’s do it again.”
“Oh, Wekin.” Yamier chuckled to himself as he drifted off to sleep.
Zhane woke them in the morning to an early meal of mocholeach, much to Wekin’s dismay.
The face of a cliff loomed over them, promising a difficult climb.
“Are we going all the way up there today?” Wekin inquired.
“Yes.” Idrithar grunted, preoccupied with studying how they were to get up.
“Will it be too hard for you Wekin?” Arldrine questioned, and Eliesmore could tell she was teasing him again.
“If I were an Ezinck, I could be up there faster than even you,” Wekin retorted.
The five Crons went first, the three Iaen followed, and last of all, Arldrine went with the two Tiders. As they climbed, Eliesmore began to feel a vague sense of evil. A dark cloud was rising from the south and moving toward them. Because of the mountains, Eliesmore could not tell whether the cloud was on the ground or above them. As he continued to climb, vestiges of the mind-numbing fear he’d experienced in the Holesmoles began to return. He strained his ears as the day wore on, hearing nothing aside from ignorant bird song, which was soon hushed away by a heavy silence. Eliesmore wished they were on flat land with Fastshed and company. With a pang, he wondered what had happened to the horses.
The Complete Four Worlds Series Page 98